Like Cormac McLaggen
by Cassandra Lee
Summary: Ron finds Hermione in the common room at 3 in the morning and she confesses something to him that he never knew about Hermione: she doesn't always enjoy school work.


**A/N**: Just a short little one shot that popped into my head one night and I finished it. Yes, Ron is a little bit out of character. But I am fully of the opinion that **Hermione** was out of character (secretly, of course) at the end of Half Blood Prince and she and Ron did a little something-something in a broom closet somewhere after he and Lavender broke up. Enjoy!  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter or it's universe, nor am I making a profit from this story. They are the property of J.K.Rowling, that beautiful person and who ever else she has deemed worthy of ownership.

* * *

Ron walked down the steps from the boy's side into the common room, not bothering to be quiet. He knew what he would find: Hermione, surrounded by books, with the fire burning low. 

He was surprised, then, when he found her curled in the armchair he usually occupied, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Hey, first year, out of my chair." He said softly to her, leaning on the back of the couch across from her.

She smiled and sniffed, then wiped away a tear. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question." He walked around to the chair, pulled her out, sat down, then pulled her into his lap and held her.

They sat this way for about fifteen minutes before either of them spoke.

"What's it like?" Hermione finally asked her head still on Ron's shoulder. He shivered a little from her warm breath onto his skin: the March nights were still chilly.

"What?" he asked pushing her up a little.

"Look at me, Ron! It's 3 a.m. on a Saturday night. I've seen how many couples sneak out of the common room and sneak back in. That's not normal! And I just wonder what it feels like to not care about your school work. To not worry about the fact that there's a foot long essay due in three weeks."

Ron sat, a little stunned. He had never heard Hermione so frustrated.

"Well," he started, "I imagine it would feel something to the way I would feel if I didn't care about you. Lost. Confused. Without purpose. Like there was absolutely no reason to do anything."

Hermione stared at him for a moment before resting her head back on his shoulder. "There's a difference between caring about you and caring about homework."

"How so?" He chuckled.

"Homework seems to take care of it self on occasion. You, I feel like I'm constantly looking out for." She smirked.

"Hey. I can take care of myself! And I recall helping you out a couple of times" He poked her side. She giggled and pulled away in the only direction she could, which was into Ron.

"I know. But you honestly think I don't give you a little help every now and then?"

"Like with Cormac McLaggen?" He asked.

She lifted her head to look him in the eyes, then leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you."

She stood up and stacked her work into a pile on the table, then crossed to the couch.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked as Hermione grabbed the afghan that someone had left flung across the back of the couch.

"It hasn't been a very comfortable atmosphere in the dorm since you and 'Lav-lav' broke up. It's just easier to sleep down here instead of risking waking up at the same time

as her." She began to settle down on the couch.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ron became a bit indignant.

"Told you what, that your ex-girlfriend is rather rude to me?" Hermione looked at him like he had three heads, all of which had no brains.

Ron sat there for a moment, then stood up and held out his hand. "Come on." Hermione just stared at his hand. "What? It's just a hand. They don't bite Hermione."

"I know that." She rolled her eyes at him. "But where are you taking me?"

"Upstairs."

"You can't go to the girl's dorm."

"I wasn't going to take you to the girl's dorm. I was going to take you to the boy's dorm." Ron explained patiently.

"Why?"

"I'm taking care of you."

Hermione stared at his hand for a bit longer, before sitting up and taking it. "Like with Cormac McLaggen?" She asked gently.

He bent down and kissed her cheek, before leading her upstairs to his bed, where he gallantly gave up his bed for the floor next to it.


End file.
